Speed-Negotiations Going On: Can They Sign Ruffalo As Hulk Before Saturday? UPDATE – Ink Now Drying?

So keen are the Marvel puppetmasters that they should unveil their full line-up of Avengers at Comic-Con, they're pressing hard to sign Mark Ruffalo to a deal in time to announce his appointment as the Hulk this very weekend.

Unfortunately, there's still some disagreements over his pay and the amount of movies he'd have to sign on for, report The Wrap. Same old, same old.

According to their report, Ruffalo will be flown from the East Coast to the West if his deal is inked on Friday. His other obligation, they say, would be to bulk up his body. Presumably, Feige and friends wouldn't expect this on quite the same short schedule.

Best news in the whole piece? That Ruffalo is Joss Whedon's number-one choice. That, if true, takes the burn off of those earlier doubts about how involved the director was allowed to get with the casting.

UPDATE: Taxi for Mr. Ruffalo – to JFK, and fast. Deadline drop a Toldja! and pass on their source's story that Ruffalo has now definitively signed on… but also admit that they didn't get an official statement from Marvel.